A total of 50 patients have been tested positive for coronavirus in Tamil Nadu till Sunday evening. Though by late Saturday night, the number of coronavirus cases stood at 42, eight persons who were in contact with religious preachers from Thailand tested positive on Sunday, according to Dr C Vijaya Baskar, Health Minister of Tamil Nadu. All have been admitted to hospitals in Erode district.
The Department of Health officials confirmed that the reason for the death of three patients in Kanyakumari district was not due to corona virus. The news about the deaths had caused anxiety in the minds of people in the district and the disclosure by the administration was welcomed with a sigh of relief. Beela Rajesh, secretary, department of health, told reporters that the Tamil nadu was in stage-2 of COVID 19 transmission. “Our aim is to prevent the progression to stage -3, that is community spread of COVID-19.Stage-2 is when the infection is transmitted to the first-degree contacts of COVID-19 positive patient with travel history,” said Rajesh.
Elsewhere in the State , the Police have tightened the rules governing the total lock down and curfew. Police deployed along thoroughfares and arterial roads were seen pleading with two-wheeler riders who were freaking out on Sunday morning to stay back in their houses and not to come out unless it was unavoidable. The pictures of cops pleading and requesting with the “freekers” have gone viral and this has brought in public sympathy for the law enforcers.
Habitual offenders were asked by the police to perform Thoppukaranam, a kind of brain yoga performed in front of Lord Vinayaga idols in the State. Persons who were caught violating the lock down and social distancing laws were asked to perform the “sit-ins” in Chennai, Tiruchi and other major cities ion the State.
Compared to other south Indian States, Tamil Nadu is doing a commendable job according to health experts and management professionals. There are more than 180 confirmed corona virus cases in neighboring Kerala which also witnessed a riot like situation on Sunday evening as hundreds of migrant laborers came out in public questioning the indifference of the district administration towards their requests for food and essential items.